Chapter 5
Progress?
*Bailey*
The cafeteria erupts with noise as everyone jumps from their seats and rush for the exits, leaving their lunch behind. I look at my friends wondering if they can tell me what's going on.
"Let's go, B." Kassia says, taking my arm and pulling me from my seat. Spencer follows close behind as we follow the crowd down the hall and outside to the parking lot. Kassia forces a path to the front as the group begins to come to a stop.
As we get closer to the front of the crowd, I see three police cars with their lights flashing. We finally make it to the front and I watch as Marco and his friends get cuffs slapped on to their wrists.
"Idiot." Spencer mumbles to himself with a shake of his head. This is the exact reason why I can't go out with Marco. I never know when he'll get into trouble and be hauled off.
"Everybody, back inside!" Principle Park yells over the crowd. Marco is yanked up from the ground and lead over to one of the squad cars. Marco puts up one last fight before he's shoved inside, and my stomach tightens as I suddenly feel sad. "Back inside!" Mr. Park shouts once more.
The crowd finally begins to move and I get caught in the flow as I'm forced back inside. Marco must have done something pretty bad. I follow the crowd back into the cafeteria, losing sight of Kassia and Spencer. I find our table and see Kassia and Spencer waiting there.
"I lost you guys." I say as I take my seat. "What do you think happened?"
"With those guys, who knows." Kassia says with a shrug. "I feel like it's always something new."
"Well I hope he doesn't get into too much trouble."
"What?" Kassia asks, nearly shouting. "Have you forgotten that he humiliated you in front of half the school? Or how about that kid he messed with yesterday? Not to mention the countless things he's done to us on Kelsey's demand. He's not a nice person, B. Don't let his looks fool you."
I'm sure if Kassia knew how nice Marco has been to me lately, she'd understand. He helped me by giving me a ride home, which he didn't have to do. He's made no attempts to humiliate me or hurt me in any way since the party. He's nice to me and I like that.
*Marco*
My friends and I burst out of the front doors and into the parking lot. We don't stop as we make our way to my van. I know we can make it if we push ourselves a little harder. I look back to check on my friends, but only see the dark shirt of the figure blocking my view. Before I can react, I'm thrown to the ground and my cheek is touching the hot pavement. I groan as the officer twists one arm behind my back and slaps a cold cuff around my wrist.
I see the shoes of the group that has formed to come watch the scene. What are the chances Bailey isn't out here with everyone else and I still have a chance?
"Everybody, back inside!" Principle Park yells over the crowd that has formed. The officer slaps the other cuff around my wrist before yanking me off the ground and reading me my rights. I scan the crowd for Bailey, but there are so many faces they all become a blur.
"Watch your head." The officer says to me as we stop at one of the three squad cars. I twist in the officer's grasp, trying to free myself one last time. "Give it up kid." The officer shoves me in the back of the squad car and slams the door. I've really ruined all chances I have with Bailey.
In minutes, we arrive downtown at the station. They haul each of us inside and throw us together in a single cell.
"You realize you're all going to court for this, right?" The officer that hauled me in says.
"Court?" Paul asks. "You're kidding, right?"
The officer shakes his head. "Nope. Mr. Conway is pressing charges against all of you."
"This can't go to court!" Paul exclaims. "My parents will kill me. And my sister, Kelsey, will probably murder me in my sleep." Unfortunately, Paul is right. His parents are so strict they would put some of the punishment on Kelsey for not watching over her brother.
"Should of thought of that before you committed the crime." The officer shrugs.
"Shit!" I exclaim as the officer walks away. I'm screwed. My mom is going to find out that I'm hanging out with the very people she doesn't me to. Not only that but, I stole a car and got arrested.
"This is because of you two." Kyle says, gesturing to Paul and Eric. "You two idiots came up with the idea."
"And you all went along with it!" Eric exclaims, glaring at his brother.
"When mom gets here, I'm telling her the truth." Kyle says as he crosses his arms over his chest. "No reason for me to get into trouble because of you."
I tune them out as their sibling banter starts. The others sit quietly, the nerves plain on their faces. No matter whose idea it was, we all took part and now we're all in the same boat.
About twenty minutes later, Kyle and Eric's mom shows up first. She's still dressed in her khakis and green vest from the supermarket she works in. As soon as the cell door opens, Kyle starts to plead his case, throwing Eric under the bus in the process.
Another couple of minutes pass and Lance's mom shows up, along with Paul's dad. As the cell doors are opened once more, Lance's mother takes him into a hug before placing a kiss on his cheek. Lance's mother has always been the, talk first and give decide punishment later type, which is probably why he's the least screwed up out of all of us. He's always hated disappointing his mother.
Paul avoids eye contact with his father as he leaves the cell. The disappointment on Paul's father's face was enough to scold Paul for the moment. I feel sorry for what he and Kelsey will go through once he's home.
Once the others are gone, Dustin and I are the only two left. He lays on the bench, one arm draped across his chest and the other falling loosely at his side. He stares up at the ceiling as if in a daze.
"They're not coming, you know." He finally says, breaking the silence.
"Who?" I ask, leaning back against the wall.
"My parents." He answers. "They're probably too drunk to answer the phone. Though I think I'd rather spend the night in here anyway."
"You never know." I shrug. "They could be the next to show up."
"Marco Millet!" An officer calls. "Your mother is here to get you." A chill runs up my spine as goosebumps suddenly appear on my arms. My mom stands at the end of the hallway with her arms crossed over her chest and the look of death in her eyes. The officer opens the cell door and I hesitate before walking out.
"Good luck." Dustin says before I slowly make my way towards my mom. Before I can get too close, she turns and walks away, giving me the opportunity to stay far away from her.
Once outside and my nerves begin to settle, my mom turns on me so fast it almost makes me dizzy. I didn't see her remove her shoe, but suddenly it's in her hand as she beats me with it. I attempt to shield myself as she hits me repeatedly, my back and shoulders beginning to sting.
"Mom!" I yell. "Mamma, stop!" I shout again.
"What did I tell you about those boys?" She asks, her eyes blazing with anger. "You were supposed to stay away from them! Now you're going to court. To court, Marco! This will be on your record for the rest of your life!"
"It was just a joy ride, mom." I shrug. She lifts her hand, the shoe of death still gripped tightly. I flinch as my hands instinctively go over my head.
"Let's go!" She says as she easily slips her shoe back on. I follow a few steps behind as she starts ranting quietly to herself in Spanish.
***
The next morning, I arrive to school early and immediately search for Bailey. There's no doubt she knows about what I've done. I need to do damage control before I lose any chances with her.
"Marco!" Casey calls behind me. I quicken my pace as I ignore her. It's way too early to deal with her and her clinginess. Of all the guys in the school, why does she choose to follow me around like a puppy? "Marco, wait up." Casey takes hold of my arm, stopping my stride. "Hey." She smiles up at me as she intertwines our fingers. "I heard that you have court in two weeks. That sucks."
"Yeah. Look, I don't have time for this." I separate my hand from hers, instantly feeling less smothered. "I have somewhere to be." I attempt to get by her and she steps in my path, blocking me.
"Wait." She says. "I was wondering if you wanted to do something tonight. It's been a while since we've done something together."
"We agreed to be friends with benefits, remember? Anything other than that, I'm not interested. Okay?"
"Well lately the benefits part has been nonexistent." Her brows furrow as she crosses her arms over her chest. "Why is that?"
Curly brown hair flashes in the corner of my eyes. My head jerks in the direction and a warm feeling fills me at the sight of Bailey. She smiles brightly as she talks with her friend Spencer. Her dark jeans hug her hips in the just the right way and the hair I've come to obsess over, falls freely across her shoulders and down her back.
"I'll talk to you later." I say to Casey before jogging over to Bailey. Once close, I clear my throat, grabbing their attention. Spencer frowns at me as Bailey looks at me with raised brows, clearly surprised to see me. "Hey Bailey." I greet her with a small smile.
"Marco." She says softly.
"Can we talk for a minute?"
"Uh..." She shifts her weight uncomfortably.
"I'm going to find Kassia." Spencer says to Bailey before walking away.
"Spence, wait!" She reaches for Spencer, but he's already gone. With a sigh, Bailey faces me. "What do you want to talk about?"
"You." I reply honestly
"Me?" Her eyes open wide as she gestures to herself. "What about me?"
"You've made it clear that you don't like delinquents and I understand that. That situation yesterday was about Mr. Conway's car." Her brows furrow slightly with confusion. "The guys and I stole Mr. Conway's car and took it for a joy ride. We didn't destroy it or trash it. We just wanted to take a nice car for a spin."
"Why are you telling me this? It doesn't matter what I think."
"It does matter. It's obvious that I like you." Her cheeks turn a light shade of pink as she brushes a stray piece of hair behind her ear. "I want to prove to you that I'm not as bad as you think. People in this town call me and my friends a gang, but we're really just a group of guys living our lives to the fullest. You understand that, right?"
"I understand, but that doesn't mean it won't change in the future. This path that you're on could land you in a real prison for a serious crime."
"I'm not a bad guy, Bailey. I'm harmless. Just go out with me once. Get to know me."
"I already said no." She shakes her head. The pink on her cheeks becomes a shade deeper as she avoids eye contact. She has no idea how cute she is. Why won't she agree to be mine already? It's killing me not being able to touch her or kiss her.
"Is there anything that you like about me?" She looks up, meeting her eyes with mine again. She bites her lip, an action of hers I've begun to associate with nervousness.
"Your eyes." She says softly. "Your smile. Your hair." A small, almost unnoticeable smile creeps to her face. "Your kindness towards me. I don't know." She shrugs as she looks away and curls her arms around herself, creating a barrier between us.
"Don't you think that's enough to give me a chance? All I'm asking for is one date. If you hate me afterwards, I'll leave you alone. I promise."
She looks at me again, her eyes locking with mine. She bites her lip once more as she runs her hand through her hair. "Well..." She pauses. Please, please say yes. "I guess one date wouldn't hurt." She flashes me a small smile. "Don't let me regret it, okay?"
"You won't. Promise."
The first bell rings and Bailey adjusts her bag on her shoulder. I can see the tension take over as she begins to worry about class. She's such a goody two shoes, but it's extremely adorable.
"Um, I have to get to class." She says. "I'll see you later, 'kay?"
"Sure." I respond with a smile. I watch as she walks away, disappearing into the crowd of students entering the building. Finally, I'm getting the chance to call her mine.
I stumbled forward as someone shoves me from behind. Anger boils in me as I ball my fists, ready to attack the person who dared start a fight with me. I turn and most of my anger washes away at the sight of Casey. She stands with her arms folded across her chest and a frown on her face.
"That's the reason?" She asks. "That's the reason you never want to hang out anymore?"
"Not now, Casey." I groan. "I'm not in the mood."
"I didn't ask what you're in the mood for, though clearly it's for Shirley Temple over there. Why the hell would you choose her over me? I've practically been throwing myself at you for weeks now because you never want to come over anymore. How long have you been seeing her?"
"I only asked her out five minutes ago." I explain. "The reason I haven't come over in weeks is because you're annoying as hell. So instead of insulting Bailey, maybe you should do some self-reflecting."
I leave Casey in the parking lot as I head inside. I really hope she'll leave me alone now that she realizes I'm only interested in Bailey. But with my luck, that probably won't happen.
***
I shove my things into my backpack as the final bell of the day rings. I'm the first one out of the room as I head to the parking lot in search of Bailey. I was so excited about her agreeing to go on a date with me, I forgot to set one up or get her number. I usually have no problem talking to girls, but with Bailey I'm a mess.
As I exit the building, my arm is grabbed and I'm pulled to the side. My friends glare at me as they form a circle around me.
"Casey told us the news." Dustin says, his arms folded across his chest. I look to Casey who holds her head high with victory. "You're going out with that curly haired girl?"
"She's an annoying nobody, who's not even attractive." Kelsey says with a frown. "Why do you think we mess with her so much?"
"Kelsey, you're the definition of annoying, and you think everyone is unattractive compared to you. And clearly you have personal issues, which is the only reason you mess with Bailey and everyone else. Stop lying to yourself."
"What the hell?" Kyle asks as he stands protectively in front of Kelsey as if he's ready to fight me for telling the truth.
"This is all because of that girl!" Paul exclaims. "She's already changing you!"
"I thought we were your friends." Eric says, a disappointed look crossing his face.
"We are friends." I reassure them. "I'm sorry, I'm just a little worked up." They're acting like this is the first girl I've dated. I don't understand why everyone is getting so defensive. If it were any other girl they would all be supportive. What is it about Bailey that they hate so much?
"Why her?" Lance asks.
They each raise their brows expectantly. The atmosphere changes and it suddenly feels like I'm taking a test. They're each expecting a certain answer. They're expecting a Marco answer that reassures them that this relationship won't last long. If this was some other girl I wouldn't say how pretty she is, how perfect her smile is, or how adorable she can be at times. I would say something stupid that has nothing to do with her personality.
"You have to admit she's hot." I say with a smirk.
"I knew it!" Eric exclaims, a smile spreading across his face. "He just wants to sleep with her."
"Why didn't you just say so?" Dustin asks, draping his arm across my shoulders. "If Lacey wasn't breathing down my neck all the time, I'd definitely do her too."
I refrain from punching him in the face. We usually talk about girls this way, but Bailey is different. She isn't like all of the other girls I've been with. I think that's why I want her so bad.
*Bailey*
I leave the school building and hear yelling with a mix of laughter. I find the source of the noise and a warm feeling fills me at the sight of Marco with his friends. The guys hang all over Marco as they yell something I can't make out. The girls stand off to the side as they frown at the loud group.
They may not be the nicest group of people or the best people to hang out with, but the relationship they have with each other is admirable.
"Hey Bailey." Marco says with a smile. He breaks away from his friends and comes to stand in front of me. "I was hoping to catch you after school."
"Why?" I ask, the butterflies in my stomach multiplying by the minute.
"Your number." He pulls his phone from his pocket and hands it to me. I take it and begin to enter my number into his phone. "And I'd like to take you out tonight. Dinner and movie, let's keep it simple for the first date. Pick you up at six?"
"Um, I think I manage that." I smile. "See you at six."
***
I manage to finish my homework a quarter past five. I have only forty-five minutes to make myself presentable for tonight. I start with scanning my closet before moving to my drawers.
"Keep it simple." I mutter to myself. "Don't over do it." I pull out a pair of burgundy pants and lay them on my bed. "It's still summer." I remind myself. "You don't want to be sweaty mess." I shuffle through my shirt drawer and decide on a simple white tank. I lay that on the bed as well and frown. It needs something else. I turn to the closet and my eyes land on my loose grey cardigan. I snatch it from my closet and lay that on the bed also. "Perfect." I say with a smile.
I take a quick shower to help with the nerves before I dress quickly. I slip on a pair of brown lace up boots to finish off the outfit before rushing to the bathroom. Only fifteen minutes left until he gets here. I do my makeup quickly. I decide on a warm, natural look and apply a nude lipstick before heading downstairs to wait.
"What's the occasion?" My mom asks. She looks up at me from the couch, a smile on her face as she looks over my outfit.
"I have a date." I explain, the grin on my face beginning to hurt.
"A date!" She exclaims. "How exciting! What's his name? Who asked who? Is he handsome?"
"His name is Mar-r-k." With the reputation that Marco has made for himself, my parents would know who he is just at the mention of his name. There's no way she'd let me leave the house with him. "His name is Mark." I lie. "He asked me, and yes he's very handsome."
I check the time to see it's already a couple minutes after six. Running fashionably late? He hardly seems the type for that.
"Will he be here soon?" My mom asks. "I'd love to meet him."
"He should be here any minute. He said six, and it's already a little past."
One Hour Later
He stood me up. Everything he said to me this morning was all crap. He doesn't really like me. It was all just a trick to make me feel bad about myself. I was strong the first time and turned him down, but then he had to say all of those sweet things and I gave in. That's probably why his friends were making all of that noise. They were excited that their plan was finally working. I can't even be mad at them. I can only be angry with myself for giving in.
Deciding to skip dinner, I head upstairs to my room. I remove my makeup and slip on my pajama shorts and t-shirt. I braid my hair and get into bed. Once my head hits the pillow, the tears begin to fall. I'm sure Marco and his friends can't wait to shove all of this in my face when I get to school tomorrow. Why did I believe Marco would be interested in me?
***
Tink... tink... tink... I wake to the annoying noise and sit up. The room is dark and the sky is black. I look at my clock and frown. Two in the morning? Tink... tink... What is that? I stand up and walk to the door. I open it to find the hallway empty. Tink... I shut the door and look over to my window. I walk over and look down.
A dark hooded figure stands below my window. A burglar? Tink. I jump as the pebble hits the window in front of my face. A burglar wouldn't throw pebbles at a window. I cautiously open the window and look down at the hooded figure.
"Bailey!" The hooded figure yells in a whisper. They remove the hood and my brows furrow at the sight of Marco. "Hey, let me up." He continues.
"You stood me up!" I yell down in a whisper.
"I can explain if you let me up. I promise I have a good excuse."
I should say no. I shouldn't trust anything he has to say to me. I sat here waiting for him for an hour, and he didn't even call or text.
"Remember, I'm not as bad as you think." He says. "Let me explain, please." I stare down at him for a moment, debating, before I roll my eyes and give in.
"Come around front, I'll let you in at the door."
I shut the window quietly and latch it before quietly heading downstairs. I skip the one squeaky step and climb down the rest of the stairs. I switch on a lamp to lighten the room before I open the door. Marco leans against the doorframe, his blue eyes are striking against the dark sky and his dark clothes.
"Thanks." He says with a smile as he comes in. I shut the door behind him and follow him to the couch. "I want you to know that I did not intentionally stand you up last night. I would never do something like that."
"Then why did you?"
"My mom took my phone. She took it away from me the day I was arrested, but I stole it back. I'd planned to put it back before she noticed, but nothing gets past my mom. I should have known better, and I'm sorry that I hurt you."
I study his face in search of a tell. He seems so sincere. He wouldn't show up here at two in the morning to apologize for a prank would he?
"You're forgiven." I say. "Honestly, I kind of have trust issues after all of the pranks the girls have pulled on me. Not to mention the crappy boyfriend I had last year. The last thing I want is a repeat."
"You had a boyfriend last year?" He asked, his brows raising with surprise. "What was his name?"
"James Gerald."
"The jock guy who got that one cheerleader pregnant? What was her name, Stephanie Malone?
"Yup, that's the one. We'd only been dating for six months, but he said he loved me. He said there was no other girl in the world for him. Just me. He was my first boyfriend, so I didn't know any better. Sometime in those six months he started cheating on me, and before I knew it rumors were spread about Stephanie being pregnant. When I confronted him about it, he didn't even feel guilty. As if cheating on me wasn't enough, he said 'she's much prettier than you anyway, at least she'll make better looking kids.' I'd spent six months of my life living a lie and he didn't even care about how I felt. That was the worst day of my life."
"He's an asshole." Marco says, his face serious. "And Stephanie Malone looked like a beast compared to you." He smiles. "If he hadn't dropped out of school, I would beat his ass for putting you though something like that." A smile spreads across my face, matching his. I can already tell that Marco will be ten times better than James, and despite his reputation he may not be so bad.